When Are Goodbyes Ever Easy?
by EyeForAnEar
Summary: Draco didn't want to accept that his closest friend was leaving him. End of fourth book. No slash, T for a bit of language and laziness on my part.


_A/N: I was looking through the fics for Draco and Viktor, and I noticed they were all about the two in a romantic relationship, which sort of bugged me, since I don't really consider them to be any more than friends. That being said, it __did__ annoy me that Rowling never mentioned anything about their interactions any furthur than Viktor staying in the Slytherin common room. This isn't beta-read, since I'm a bit too lazy to do that.  
On an unrelated topic, I'm preparing for a co-op placement this summer, and the school was showing us these brutal videos of the dangers you can face in the workplace. I'm not a horror flick lover, and it scared the crap out of me to see these people cut their fingers off in pizza mixers and get burned by falling bottles of acid. Ugh. So now I'm both aware of the possible dangers in jobs, and turned off by the idea of ever ordering pizza again. Alright, enjoy!_

* * *

There were loud and cringe-inducingly sappy farewells being exchanged in every direction, but Draco was oblivious to them all. He stared sullenly at Viktor as the latter whispered something to that _stupid Mudblood_ Hermione Granger, discreetly tucking something into her hand. He'd been trying to ignore the inevitable arrival of this moment for the past few weeks, but he couldn't deny it any longer. It hurt too much to have to say goodbye to his new friend.

Turning to his left, the Slytherin peered at the lake, where Durmstrang's boat rested, waiting to whisk away the most understanding and reliable person Draco had met in all his time at Hogwarts. He closed his eyes, the image of the ship taunting him beneath his eyelids.

Then a hand landed on his shoulder, and Draco _nearly_ jumped in surprise, _but that would be a sign of weakness, and weakness was __not__ something a Malfoy was supposed to show_.

Draco turned on the spot, and was face to face with Viktor, a stoic expression on his face, _as always_. The dark haired boy stood silently for a moment before speaking.

"I will miss you greatly, Draco," he said gruffly. "I am glad we have become friends; I was hoping we could write to each other."

Draco felt a sadness creep up him. He was constantly surrounded by people who agreed with his ideas and beliefs, but only because of a sort of admiration they held towards him. Goyle and Crabbe were fine as the muscle to his group, and occasionally Zabini had some interesting ideas to consider, but none of them had ever discussed and debated about Draco's ideas as well as Viktor had.

Draco could always count on finding Viktor in the Slytherin common room in the evening, and be able to confide in Viktor the underlying rage he felt towards his father for caring less and less about him and his mother the past year.

Viktor provided Draco with a greater sense of Voldemort's influence and image in a country other than Britain, and by the end of the year, Draco had a much greater sense of what his father's job and plans for him would mean in the long run.

And now Viktor was leaving. Draco would be left with nothing but the stupid classes at Hogwarts, swarms of annoying Mudbloods preaching their ideals and anti-'Anything to Do with the Dark Lord or Any Type of Dark Magic' garbage, and his father's increasing devotion to the Dark Lord and _not_ Draco or his mother.

He was jolted back to the present when he felt a wretched dampness gathering at the back of his eyes. Blinking hard, he tried to keep himself from frowning, but proved unsuccessful. He nearly cursed when Viktor frowned himself, and almost jumped a second time when Viktor tugged the blond into an embrace.

Draco thanked whatever deity there supposedly was that the students around him were too focused on their own farewells to notice the Slytherin's suspiciously bright eyes and the famous Quidditch player hugging him.

Viktor's deep voice rumbled near Draco's ear, a tinge of sadness audible. "I know it will be difficult, Draco. If you _ever_ need to talk, I will not hesitate to answer." Draco felt a piece of parchment being pushed into his right hand, and Viktor closed Draco's fingers around the parchment. "Distance will not weaken our friendship. Be strong, and know that there are people who believe in you."

Draco felt the other's arms let go of him, and a wave of calm swept over him as the other detached himself from the blond. Draco took a deep breath, and smiled, _as a proper Malfoy should. Be regal and look your best, no matter what the situation is._

"Good luck to you, Viktor. Thank you, for so much."

And as Durmstrang's boat prepared for departure, and Draco saw a dark haired boy wave to him from the stern, he unfolded the piece of crumpled parchment to see an address written on it, and the signature of his comrade.

_Perhaps Hogwarts should house foreign students more often_.


End file.
